Pharmacy Q & A

A day in the life of pharmacist,  Ansa Lourens, Medirite Plus Protea Heights

Get to know your friendly Medirite pharmacist!

Q: Give us some insight into your daily work as a pharmacist?

Being a retail pharmacist is a little like being on a rollercoaster. No matter how much you plan, you can never really know exactly what to expect. Therefore, I am a keen believer in the “to-do list” to ensure that I get to everything that needs to be done.

Q: What was your career trajectory to becoming a pharmacist?

After school, I first completed a BSc degree in Human Life Sciences, following my interests, but not really knowing what I wanted to do. During my final year, I figured out that I didn’t want to spend my whole career in a laboratory and decided to pursue a career in pharmacy, knowing that there might still be research opportunities if I did wish to follow them. A Shoprite Student Bursary steered my path toward retail pharmacy and I haven’t looked back since.

Q: What’s the most fulfilling part of your day?

That moment when you see relief in someone’s facial expression – or even hear it over the phone – after you’ve gone out of your way to help, is truly rewarding. Knowing that, in some small way, you’ve lightened their burden is deeply fulfilling.

Q: What misconceptions do people have about pharmacy and medication?

Many people still believe that "natural" automatically means "safe." Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Q: Everyone’s focused on health resolutions now, what are your tips?

Know what you are putting into your body. It’s not only about medication, but also foods, drinks and even what you are inhaling. Gut health plays a critical role when it comes to your overall health.

Q: What trends in pharmacy are you most excited about?

Multiple medicinal and non-medicinal uses for everyday “old-school” products (like castor oil). As a pharmacist, this keeps me on my toes and in a constant state of learning – which excites me.

Q: What's a question you wish more patients would ask?

We really do get asked about everything! From requests to identify intestinal worms, naming that rash, deciphering blood results (and doctors’ handwriting), to giving injections and the list goes on. I like to educate patients when it comes to general diseases that they are taking medication for, but they do not understand how it works. A prime example of this is how blood pressure works and how the medication that they are taking for it plays a role in decreasing high blood pressure.

Q: What’s your best Medirite product for staying healthy?

Medirite 9-strain Probiotic for keeping your gut healthy. Plus, I believe that a Medirite Dynadol should always be on-hand for headache, toothache and fever.